Do you know someone from the state convention?  This question was put to some bi-vocational pastors lately.  I was gratified to learn that most of them knew someone from the ABSC personally.

The churches started the state convention, and the churches direct the work of the convention through the Executive Board of the Convention.  How do you get the most out of the ABSC?

Start with a relationship. We are people who work with churches.  You only need to know one of us.  And you don’t have to come to us.  Just call, make your request and we (one, or several of us) will come to you.  One person can help you access all the ABSC does.  By the way, we like you.

Ask questions. There are things we can do and provide for you.  You may not need everything we can do, but surely there are some things we can do to serve your church.  And we know stuff.  We know people who live near you, we know the demographics of your church field, and we can access years of statistics about your church.  We have information that you can use.

Read the mail or the website. You get mail from us, right?  No need to read it all, but look at it, when you see something applicable or interesting set it aside.  Then throw the rest away, go back and read what you set aside.  And you can always go to www.absc.org to learn about ministries.  Email addresses on the website give you quick access to the staff members of the ABSC.

Attend something. VBS and Evangelism conferences, Making It Work, the state convention meeting, an associational event that the ABSC sponsors, there are many opportunities to attend things either in your association or region.  At these events you get to know the state convention and what it provides.

Partners in Ministry. On March 4&5 and 8&9 the state convention provides (at no cost to you) a conference for pastors, staff members, and their spouses.  We will introduce you to our staff, outline our ministries, and provides resources for your church.  You will leave with two thoughts: “those are nice people” and “I had no idea the ABSC did that.”

Let us know. Recently a pastor called to tell me about another pastor whose child was sick.  Their resources were limited, and the pastor and his wife faced overwhelming bills.  “Could the ABSC help?” he asked.  We could and we did.  But this brother let us know.  Let us know when God is at work, or when you see needs we can help meet.

The state convention did not spontaneously generate, it is not sustained and does not operate on its own authority.  Churches and their members instruct, direct, and fund the state convention to serve churches.  You get the most out of the state convention by interaction with it.

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